These artists in Chennai’s Pondy Bazaar turn heads with their art

Strings of green, golden yellow, and tart red lights dangle from the trees of Pondy Bazaar in Chennai. A handful of artists sit beneath their glow, with their heads bent down and eyes fixed not on the swarming crowd, but their A3 sheets.

Among them is Nagamalai K., a civil engineering graduate from Palani who came to Chennai two years ago to become a full-time artist. With his drawing board balanced on his knees, he sketches a portrait of a young couple who stopped by after seeing his work. “They were shopping and saw me sketching,” he says. “They liked it and asked for their portrait, which will take me roughly 3-4 hours to draw. That’s how most of my work comes — just from people who happen to walk by,” adds Mr. Nagamalai.

While facing financial constraints and struggling to find stable jobs, he previously took up part-time work as a cashier and in restaurants to support his life as an artist. “All the art materials — from the board to the drawing pencils — are expensive,” he explains. “But Pondy Bazaar has helped. Some parents want me to teach their children to draw. I also take online art classes in the mornings,” adds Mr. Nagamalai, and he credits his teacher, artist Santhanam, for guiding him.

Seated under another tree by the pedestrian plaza, Kaviya spreads her sketches on the ground, deeply immersed in sketching an onlooker. A board says ₹150 per caricature. She finishes the portrait in under four minutes. “Just by being in Pondy Bazaar, my name has now spread far and wide across the city. These days, I get commissions for corporate events, weddings, and birthday parties too,” says Ms. Kaviya, a B.Com graduate and self-taught artist who works here only on weekends.

Ms. Kaviya admits that drawing in public made her nervous at first. “People watch closely, and sometimes they don’t understand the caricature. But when they do, they laugh and appreciate it, which makes my day,” she says.

Need for space

But not everything about working on the street is easy. “The biggest challenge is that many other vendors by the pedestrian plaza often tell us to move elsewhere. Many artists struggle financially, and painting by the roadside gives them a chance to earn commissions and keep their art alive,” Ms. Kaviya shares.

Mr. Nagamalai faces the same challenge and hopes that artists like him will one day have a dedicated space. “Generative AI is another challenge for grassroots artists like us, as people now use it to create art. It hits us the hardest. We hope sketching in public will remind people that the human touch is what matters the most,” he adds. He also hopes to open a studio someday and teach art at a low cost, so that anyone, regardless of their background, can learn art.